Country Fair & Quilt Days at Hancock Shaker Village

Just down the road from Brook Farm Inn, on September 24th & 25th you can enjoy a quintessential New England pastime: the Country Fair and Quilt Days at Hancock Shaker Village: “A Heritage Farm Untouched by Time.” A farmers’ market, craft show and sale, antique tractors and engines, and chicken races (yep, chicken races!) are just a few of the offerings.

The “Harvest of Quilts,” a juried show, will include over 55 antique and modern pieces. Vote for your favorite and watch quilting demos. For youngsters there will be hay piles, face painting, balloon art, beanbag toss, sack races, and more.

We have coupons for discounted admission to the Fair, for the first ten guests who request them!

Then return to Brook Farm Inn, where tea is served on Friday and Saturday afternoons, and your hosts look forward to welcoming you back to your Berkshires home away from home.

Posted in: Attractions, Autumn, Brook Farm Inn News, Events, Outdoor Activities

3 of the Best Places to Go Apple Picking in Western MA

Apple picking in Western MA is a favorite autumn activity. During October, apples are ripe for the picking here near Brook Farm Inn. We are surrounded by some beautiful orchards in every corner of our state, but Western MA really stands out as an apple picking destination. There’s no better way to get into the autumn spirit! This is a great date activity for a romantic vacation with your significant other. It is also a great place to go with friends and to indulge in your just-picked fruits right after either as a refreshing, juicy treat or as a warm cider. It will be so much more rewarding to enjoy those apples after you have picked them yourself! Here are a few of our favorite places to go apple picking in Western MA.

For all of our favorite places to go apple picking in Western MA, be sure to download our free Berkshires Vacation Guide!

3 Places to Go Apple Picking in Western MA

Hilltop Orchards in Richmond

There are so many great locations to go apple picking in Western MA. However, if you’re looking for a place very close to Brook Farm, then Hilltop Orchards is a great choice. Just over 15 minutes away, Hilltop Orchards offer 26 different types of apples, with most available for the pick-your-own option. There are also bags of apples on sale at the Farm Winery Store. To keep with the fall festivities, Hilltop Orchards also offers hayrides on weekends through the orchards. You can pick anywhere from a half-peck to a half-bushel for a price range between $6 and $18. After you’re done in the orchards, you can then come try a drink at the on-site Furnace Brook Winery. Many of the apples grown in the orchards are used to produce fresh pressed cider and the award-winning Johnny Mash hard cider. Try one of these varieties, or indulge in a fresh fruit pie, scone, or apple cider donut from the Farm Winery Store.

Roberts’ Hillside Orchard in Granville

One of the best places for apple picking in MA is Roberts’ Hillside Orchard in Granville. Here, you will have the chance to select over 25 varieties of apples, peaches, raspberries, and blackberries each fall. Apples include MacIntosh, Empire, Red Delicious, Honey Crisp, Gala, Macoun, and more! The best part about this orchard, however, is the family history. The land was granted by King George II of England back in 1740, and the Roberts family built the still-working farm that stands there today. Pick your own apples to become just a piece of that history!

Outlook Farm in Westhampton

Another great location for apple picking in Western MA is Outlook Farm in Westhampton. Though it is a bit more of a drive from Brook Farm Inn (about an hour), Outlook Farm is renowned for its great fall apple picking! Outlook not only boasts some beautiful orchards and land but also a year-round farm market with fresh meats. You can also sample some hard cider and craft beer during your visit, sometimes accompanied by live music! This homestead was built in 1781 and has served as a tavern, stagecoach stop, dance hall, and then farm. Now, surrounded by orchards and gardens and featuring a butcher shop, country store, and restaurant, Outlook Farm is quite popular. Enjoy picking your own unique, full-flavored apples on over 30 acres of orchards. Then, indulge in a few old-time recipes in the country store, including apple pie made from scratch!

Stay at Brook Farm Inn

Apple picking in Western MA is just one of many outdoor activities you can enjoy throughout the entire year! Here at Brook Farm Inn, we provide a retreat in the beautiful Berkshires, which offer so much to explore. For more to see and do in the area, download our free vacation guide. Hope to see you soon!

Posted in: Autumn, Brook Farm Inn News, Outdoor Activities, Seasons
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Why You’ll Love October Mountain in the Fall

What more fitting place for an autumnal hike than October Mountain? This beautiful feature in the central Berkshires offers a gorgeous state forest full of fall foliage during the autumn season. Glowing red, burning orange, and golden yellow hues light up the entire mountain range in a glorious display that will leave you short of breath. Here are just a few things you should know about October Mountain, including some great activities you can enjoy during the fall.

October Mountain History

The name for October Mountain is, in fact, attributed to American author and poet Herman Melville. In his Pittsfield home, Melville could view the stunning hills in the distance, and the scenery during the fall particularly impressed him. He first mentioned October Mountain briefly in a short story from 1853, titled “Cock-a-doodle-doo.” Later, he wrote another short story called “October Mountain,” in which the official name originated. The land itself once belonged to the estate of William C. Whitney, who was President Grover Cleveland’s Secretary of the Navy. It was purchased in 1915 by a group of individuals and donated to the state for preservation purposes. It was also the harboring grounds for Gideon Smith during the Revolutionary War. Smith was discovered to be harboring a British prisoner-of-war. He hid in a gorge until the end of the war that was later called Tory Cave. 

Is October Mountain Haunted?

There are some folklore and ghost tales surrounding October Mountain. Whether this stems from its Halloween-centric name or the apparently haunted 19th-century cemetery among the trees, it is not certain. At this cemetery, visitors have been said to hear strange humming sounds and see a ghoulish girl in a white dress among the tombstones. The girl is thought to be Anna Pease, who died in 1829 at the age of 10 and is the only female child buried in the graveyard.

However, more than ghosts are said to haunt October Mountain. In 1983, two Pittsfield men were enjoying a picnic near an old boy scout camp site on Felton Lake when they saw a bizarre creature in the woods. It was described as brown, six to seven feet tall, and featuring glowing eyes. A similar sighting was later reported in 1989 when a hiker saw something large move among the trees about 100 yards away. He claimed to have seen the same type of creature covered in fur with a human face and very long arms and grubbing for roots and insects.

U.F.O.s have even made the list of bizarre sightings on October Mountain. In 1970, a boy scout saw two strange lights hovering in the sky. He claimed that they seemed to be checking a particular spot in the forest over and over again. After five minutes, they supposedly launched vertically into the sky at an extremely high speed. These mysteries are a part of the lure to October Mountain and part of its history.

October Mountain Hiking

The 16,500-acre expanse makes October Mountain the largest state forest in the state of Massachusetts.There are opportunities for camping, hiking, and more among the glorious forested expanse. An October Mountain State Forest trail map reveals a variety of paved and unpaved paths. There are also snowshoe and skiing trails available, as well as trails for multi-use, including snowmobiles. Some are even plowed in the winter time to make them more accessible. The Appalachian Trail also runs through the October Mountain State Forest and is available for foot travel only.

Stay in Lenox at Brook Farm Inn

Among your October Mountain hiking adventures and ghost-hunt explorations, you will need a place to stay. Indulge in luxurious accommodations at the Brook Farm Inn. From massages to soothe your aching muscles to a protein-filled breakfast each morning to jumpstart your day, relax. We have a variety of rooms to suit your particular traveling needs. For more information on what to do in the Berkshires during your visit, download our free vacation guide!

Posted in: Autumn, Brook Farm Inn News, Outdoor Activities, Seasons
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